Archives:

• Pet Boys Concert - September 2009 - We met them backstage!
• Sarah Brightman Concert November 2008 - A friend I'd like to have.
• All Hallows Ball 2008 "Opening Night"

• Darren LaFrance and Chris Downs 2008
• Cyndi Lauper a friend I wish I had - 2008
• All Hallows Ball 2007 "Night at the Museum"
• All Hallows Ball 2006 "Toys"
• All Hallows Ball 2003
• Party at John Starnes 2003
• Misc. from 2002
• Red Party 1998
• A sampling of friends from 1990.

Metroflex Friends
Although it was a business that we owned, we did consider many of our Metroflex members as friends.

Friends to me are very important in life. Even though I am rather self reliant, independent and can do most anything in life solo if need be, I do enjoy the company of others and establishing friendships.

Main things I enjoy in friendships:

• Love exchanging ideas with people.
• Love sharing my views about everything and hearing those of others.
• I cherish companionship. I'm by no means a loner and enjoy the comfort of being in groups or of being with just one other person most of the time.
• Comradery is important to me. I do enjoy the approval of others and of having loyal people there for me in life that are cheering for my success.
• Leadership is enjoyable to me in friendship if the occassion or circumstance is appropriate and I feel what I'm contributing is of mutual benefit..
• Being a follower is often refreshing and relaxing if the road being taken is a good one.
• I enjoy recording a mental file on each friend I make and being able to recite in details things to them later that they are often surprised I even remembered.
• I enjoy the mental stiumulation that a really good friendship gives to me.
• I love having fun with friends. I love laughing and smiling a lot and when that's brought out in me it's always most enjoyable! I also enjoy making others laugh and be in good spirits.
• Ultimately, if the friendship reaches its highest level, I enjoy the love and spirituality that sparkles from it like a beautifully lit candle burning bright.

My main criteria in procuring and maintaining friendships:

• Loyalty, honestry and trust are all extremely important ingredients to any friendship I've had so far in my life. It seems that my very best long-term friendships have always contained these essentials.
• Intelligence and creativity are always strong characteristics in my friendships.
• Stability of body, mind and spirit are important to me in social relations.
• Aesthetics, manners, and good hygiene are important to me in making friends.
• Values, morals and having a good sense of right and wrong are essential.
• Common interests, goals, preferences, motivations, and so forth always peak my interest level greatly in most relations.
• Mutual interest, and ultimately genuine love of spirit sure do help cement friendships in the long run.
• Willingness to reciprocate scores huge points with me. Not looking to be sponsored in life or sponsor anyone else for all that matter.
• Someone that might have the potential for being a travel partner is always a super plus in all of my friendships. Love traveling with people.

What I don't want in friendships:

• I don't need friends who are too clingy. I don't need to see or talk to you daily to constitute a friendship. In fact, most of my very dearest most beloved friends are ones that we only socialize with each other about once a month
• I don't need friends seeking a counselor. I'm an expert at advice giving and am more than willing to do so upon occasion, but not willing to be someone's pseudo therapist.
• I don't want to be a member of a "cult" like group of friends. I'm my own person, very opinionated and forthright about what I like and don't like. I don't like being made to do things that I can't stand to do just to satisfy a group obligation or chiefly a group leader who's a control freak that wants worshipped.
• I don't want friends whose personalities are compromised by drugs, over abuse of alcohol, sex addiction or any other vices or bad habits that contaminate, taint, or hideously blur the true essence of who they really are. I need strong stable people around me, same as me.
• I don't want friends living under a fake facade of designer labels, titles, family pedigrees, and pretentiousness. I prefer people that are down to earth and are truly themselves and not trying to being something else that they think society is wanting them to be.

My want list needs in life for friendships:

• I need one partner whom I can count on implicitly to always be there for me and I for him.
• I desire some strong stable couples and single friends in my life to relate to and enjoy each others company.
• I desire to be friends with my family. The old saying blood is thicker than water holds true for me so far in life. Friends come and go, but family is always there for you.
• I desire a few friends who are older than myself, some that are my age and a few that are younger. Variety is the spice of life.
• I desire one or two trophy friends, but only if I can afford them or deserve them.
• I desire enjoyable groups of people and organizations that allow me to network and meet others.
  

Why be my friend?

• The art of friendship is one of my strongest talents and I do give really good friendship
• I'm fun to be around.
• I'm pro-active in friendships.
• I'm forgiving in friendships.
• I'm enthusiastic, smart and been told my sense of humor is up there.
• I'm affectionate and giving.
• I'm nice.
• I'm a good all around kind of guy.
• I'm well read and have a multitude of interests.
• I'm diversified and very accomplished in life.
• I'm good looking and physically fit.
• I'm generally happy in life, even when life deals storms.
• I don't whine about my problems often, and I'm generally a sane level headed person.
• I love to plan for the future and my BF is great at planning fantastic trips.
• I've got both of my feet on the ground.
• I'm one hell of a great guy. I believe in recisprocity and am extemely loyal.
• I might be a little overly enthusiastic and even perceived at times as being arrogant by others, but I do have a lot of experience, accomplishment, and charm to bring to the table with me.

If you are currently my friend and are reading this, let me just say I really do appreciate you and cherish the bonds and interactions that we have experienced together in life.

If you are a new acquaintance or a prospect, I will just say that I'm very open minded about making new friends and I don't necessarily go over a mental check list in my mind when making friends nor do I necessarily rush into things. I plant a lot of seeds along the way and if I'm lucky enough to see a few blossom into beautiful friendships then I am truly a lucky person in life to experience the wonderful exerpience in life of making friends.

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My observations in life about other people and their desires for friends:

It's been my conclusion in life after living 44 years of this writing that 50% of the people out there in the world don't know what having a true friendship is all about, or have forgetten what real friendships are. Most people want friends for a reason or purpose as in:

• Building a network for their business or professional needs
• Trading goods or services or barter
• For physical desires
• A buddy to get high with or drink with
• A sports or gaming or gambling buddy
• To help them raise their children
• Employer/employee relationship or co-worker relationship
• Politics
• To impress others or stroke their egos
• For counseling or advice
• For someone just that will listen to them
• Religious affiliations

I'm not saying that if you have any of the above components in your friendship that it can't be a true one. However, I think a lot of people do get caught up and lost in these, and in fact use the label "friend" way too loosely when in fact the friendship may indeed be more of a mutual use exchange involving only a small amout of real true friendship.

Of course you have to have mutual interests and shared experience with people to make a friend in the first place and a lot of the above components are legitimate reasons and bases to begin beautiful friendships. But in my personal opinion the friendship has to grow beyond these and envelope an overwhelming majority of the relationship in order to really become that "real" and "true" friendship that most people desire.

I've had only a few real true friends in my life that have gone beyond these social networking and user groups needs listed above, and god knows I've tried my best in a lot of cases to make the conversion from just the above mutual use factors to a real friendship, but unfortunately most people don't recognize the need or use for having real friendship and are usually just too busy with their lives and security needs to distinguish the difference.

My few true friends that I have I do treasure greatly and treat like gold, and feel lucky for having them.

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